Apple’s 2021 redesign of the iMac comes with sleek Magic accessories in the box, including the Magic Keyboard — with Touch ID, if you’re willing to pay extra. But you no longer need to splurge on a brand-new iMac in order to get the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID: You can buy it separately to work with whatever Mac you already have.
The new iMac’s Magic accessories, which also include a slightly updated Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad, are now available on Apple’s website and in Apple Stores, Apple announced Tuesday. Each Magic accessory comes with a USB-C-to-Lightning cable so you can charge it from your Mac, which Apple says you’ll only need to do every month or so.
The baseline Magic Keyboard costs $99 (£99, AU$139) and features new keys for emoji, Do Not Disturb, Spotlight and Dictation, along with “a remarkably comfortable and precise typing experience,” Apple claims. For an additional $50, you make the worthwhile upgrade to a Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, which makes logging into a Mac much quicker and more secure. (Note that the Touch ID only works with M1 Macs.) And for yet another $30, you can get the Touch ID version with the expanded numeric keypad on the right side, if that’s your style.
The latest Magic Mouse.
Dan Ackerman/CNET
With sensors that let you perform different tasks depending on how hard you press, the Magic Trackpad is priced at $129 (£129, AU$179). Or, if you prefer the feel of a mouse in your hand, the Magic Mouse goes for $79 (£79, AU$109) and still offers some of the trackpad’s Multi-Touch capabilities.
Unlike the colorful range of the new 24-inch iMacs where they originated, it seems the Magic accessories when sold separately only come in Apple’s signature silver and white. But we’re still holding out hope for Apple to release some funky-hued standalone keyboards, mice and trackpads.
